WELCOME TO THE PEMBA SCHOOL!

We love seeing the transformation in children who once could not attend school because of poverty, but now are in our school and given books, a uniform and a classroom to belong to! Education is such a key to see a nation reach its full potential, and despite the setbacks the civil war caused Mozambique, they are growing and developing more and more each year. It is, however, a very poor country with many struggles and challenges, but I love partnering with this nation to see it bloom and become even more alive as each day goes by.

One way we, at Iris, are able to see restoration in Pemba is by focusing on the next generation. Through meeting their practical needs we are able to show them they are loved and are valuable. Our ‘Stop For The One’ program has a huge impact on doing just this, not only in Pemba, but by helping children in poverty all over the globe. S41 focuses on children in communities, schools, running feeding programs and they give homes to the orphans.

In late September, we were able to film a short video featuring our Classroom Sponsorship program and explaining the benefits in detail. This program has been around for a while, but we are excited to bring more awareness and to invite others to partner with the vision – to see education given to all children, despite the economic situation and their background.

This reminded me of a beautiful 15-year-old girl I meet in the village last year, just walking distance from our home. She was teaching me to cook, and today’s menu was fish! She showed me how to gut it, de-scale it and prepare it for the open fire. It was so much fun, and despite my father being a well-seasoned fisherman, I stumbled with the blunt rusty knife while cutting the fish and taking out the guts! We laughed a lot. I think it was funny to watch!

After we sat down and started talking, me speaking very broken Portuguese and her very little English. She asked me if I had a pen. I thought she wanted to write something for me, but when I gave her the pen from my bag she jumped up with excitement! She ran to her small bamboo hut and came back with rugged, well-worn papers. As I looked closely I saw it was a school exercise book, half falling apart. She sat by me and started writing rapidly. I sat watching her, she was doing her homework. The rest of my visit she spent her time writing, as though she was in a rush. I asked her a few questions and then it dawned on me. She had lost her pen for school and wasn’t able to afford a new one. She hadn’t been able to do her school work because of it. She was writing so quickly because she thought she had to give the pen back to me before I left, meaning she wouldn’t be able to complete her written assignments and pass. I was so shocked. The small things we take for granted in life, like a pen, and to her, it was worth its weight in gold! Of course, I gave it to her and she gave me the biggest hug! To her, education was so valuable and priceless!

There is nothing more special than seeing a child happy, full of life and dreaming big about the possibilities for their future. For the video, we wanted to show the beauty of children coming out of the chains of poverty and given a new voice. An opportunity, the choice to pick what they wanted their future to look like. The gift that education brings is freedom & empowerment.

I meet Natercia earlier in the year with Heidi and the Mercy Ministry team. James and I were filming a story about the houses that are built for widows through one of our programs, and it just so happened to be Natercia’s grandma that they were dedicating a house to that very day. Natercia lived with her grandma and her younger sister. I do not know the story about her parents, but it is common for children whose parents have passed away for them to live with other relatives. She is a bright, shy girl with a cheeky grin that makes you laugh. She attends our school and just had arrived home from class. Heidi asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up and she told Heidi she wanted to be a doctor.

A few months later when we were planning to do a video of the classroom sponsorship program, I knew Natercia would be the perfect little girl to feature and cheer on in her education. Her story is powerful. Many village children don’t have an answer when you ask them what they want to do when they are old… for many, that’s an abstract concept – as they are just trying to survive that week and can’t even grasp what life would be like next month! To hear Natercia have a vision and aspiration for her future that had no limits was so precious.

And it’s achievable! At the moment Iris is also building a university, which will give more and more opportunities. It is exciting times and I can’t wait to see the next generation grow and champion this country into a brighter future.

You can view the video that James and I created for Stop For The One on Nartasia above.

Please be praying for her and her family, for her dreams, future study and that she will know with God nothing is impossible.